TY - JOUR PY - 2013// TI - Psychological mechanisms underlying doping attitudes in sport: Motivation and moral disengagement JO - Journal of sport and exercise psychology A1 - Hodge, Ken A1 - Hargreaves, Elaine A. A1 - Gerrard, David A1 - Lonsdale, Chris SP - 419 EP - 432 VL - 35 IS - 4 N2 - We examined whether constructs outlined in self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2002), namely, autonomy-supportive and controlling motivational climates and autonomous and controlled motivation, were related to attitudes toward performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in sport and drug-taking susceptibility. We also investigated moral disengagement as a potential mediator. We surveyed a sample of 224 competitive athletes (59% female; M age = 20.3 years; M = 10.2 years of experience participating in their sport), including 81 elite athletes. Using structural equation modeling analyses, our hypothesis proposing positive relationships with controlling climates, controlled motivation, and PEDs attitudes and susceptibility was largely supported, whereas our hypothesis proposing negative relationships among autonomous climate, autonomous motivation, and PEDs attitudes and susceptibility was not supported. Moral disengagement was a strong predictor of positive attitudes toward PEDs, which, in turn, was a strong predictor of PEDs susceptibility. These findings are discussed from both motivational and moral disengagement viewpoints.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 0895-2779 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -